Disclaimer: I only wish I owned Naruto. . . . ...and Kakashi.
Kakashi: Well at least you didn't add the 'maybe' this time.
Rose: Tell you what Kakashi. . .
Kakashi: (looks up from Icha Icha)
Rose: You figure out how to get my fingers to hit the right damn keys on the keyboard so I can forget about the ever so used and abused Backspace key and I change how I add your name to my dream list of wishes. Not really but if he thinks so. . .( Shrugs)
Kakashi: (glares) . . . You know we can read what you think. Right?
Rose: (pales and gulps) You can?
Kakashi: How else would we know what we're supposed to be doing?
Rose: You could just read what I type out!
Kakashi: with how long it gets you to quit erasing 'e' with the backspace key? I don't think so. Naruto thinks faster than you type. . . .readably anyway.
Rose: Ah man. I think I lost that argument. Oh well people here are this weeks five chapters. Read and review please. Payback prank info would be really helpful. I just can't come up with a good one.
Kakashi: She's kindof slow on that stuff.
Naruto: And she won't listen to me even though I am The Prankster KING of Konoha.
Rose: Damn straight. I like my house standing with all the walls intact and you always have to demonstrate.
Chapter Fifteen: Rookies Get Involved
Team ten were still sitting on the hillside. Ino was trying her best to convince her teammates they owed it to Naruto to help him get the lover he seemed to want and both boys were doing their best to ignore her whining. Ino said, "He is clueless and don't tell me otherwise. After all, we all know how long Hinata-chan has been trailing around behind him like a lovesick puppy and he's never even noticed her."
"Yes he has, Ino. Naruto-kun and I talk pretty often," Hinata said, coming out of hiding. "He told me a long time ago why there could never be anything between us and I accept that. I know I am not strong enough, even with all of my clan behind me, which I would never get if I were with him, to protect myself from the rage of the village. Not only am I a female who would be happy to be with him but I am the Hyuuga heir. Those two things alone would have the villagers calling for his head on a spike. But he also told me the truth which no one had ever done before and that is why I follow him now. He is my friend and through him I know I always have someone I can talk to who sees me. The real me and not just the shy, backwards, untalented daughter of the Hyuuga Hiashi or the spoil little Hyuuga princess." She paused as she knelt in the grass beside Chouji. "It is very empowering to find a true friend you can say anything to and know you will not be judged harshly or found wanting because of it. Naruto-kun helps me train and helps me figure out what to do when Hanabi-neechan is waspish and cruel or when the elders tear me down too much. He always know what I need from him and I try to be there in the same way for him because everyone needs someone they can talk to. And that includes him."
"Hai, it does," said Kiba coming up the hill with Shino. "Hope you don't mind if we join you also." Tenten, Neji and Lee followed them.
"We decided to come find you because this is our monthly picnic day," explained Tenten.
"And we want to figure out how to help Naruto before he climbs out of his skin from all this . . . attention?. . . scrutiny?" Shino nodded and he continued, "the village has him under," added Neji.
Shikamaru sighed and sat up. "As for that, there isn't much we can do. It won't stop until someone makes the Hokage stop trying to push him into something he doesn't want. She's acting like he doesn't know what is in his best interest, much like Ino wants to. So long as that's how she thinks, she won't hear a word against her actions but one thing we can and will do, is go to his place and remove every single perverted spying device we find. As I told Ino, they are spying on him when he takes a shower and that crosses the line."
"They crossed the line so long ago they can't even see it on the horizon any more," said Kiba. "I feel sorry for both of them. They want to mate so badly but with the whole village watching them they can't even be in the same general location together without setting off a new round of gossip and betting. People are so desperate for proof they are even scrutinizing their spars for the type of holds they use and how long they hold the other in a particular hold or position." He paled as he realized what he had just admitted he knew. "But you guys can't tell anyone I said that or place any bets due to what I just said. Kaasan would cut off my balls if she found out I let that slip."
Shikamaru just raised an eyebrow at Ino in a 'You see?' manner and she nodded sadly. If even Kiba knew the two were gay and wanting to be together, then it was undeniable and she needed to give up her fantasy. Kiba might be a young pervert but when it came to the pheromones given off by two people who were attracted to each other his nose was never wrong. He had told them all Hinata didn't like Naruto like they thought she did but they weren't willing to believe him. Now she had to wonder why they had doubted him.
Shika got to his feet and led the way to Naruto's apartment. They went inside and he said, "Every spy device is to be found and destroyed but make sure who ever is monitoring it knows who it is destroying it. I want them all to know Naruto's friends do not like what they are doing to him. We do not appreciate Naruto being treated like this. Make sure you all let them know it is rude and disrespectful to treat someone who saves their lives every day like a damn lab specimen. But be sure you also make it clear Naruto has no idea we are doing this. I will not have him blamed for our removing their illegal bugs. Now go."
He, himself, walked into the bathroom and removed the two devices Naruto had told him were there. He found a third one in the medicine cabinet and a fourth in the toilet which really grossed him out seeing as how it was actually in the bowl itself and angled to actually see his ass as he was taking a crap. When he found that one he spoke directly into it telling the watchers, "You people are sick. You need to see a shrink if you think Kyuubi is going to come out in his shit. Sheesh." The truth was that one was only to measure any sign of sexual activity since his watchers decided if he was having a relationship they would see it by the size of his hole or by the appearance of hemorrhoids. But then the people who placed that particular camera weren't gay and had no idea what kind of tell-a-tales they should be watching for. They were guessing.
Hinata and Ino were both giving the bedroom a thorough search when Shikamaru came out with the four devices in his hand. He told them, "No place is sacred. Even if you think no one would wish to see something extremely invasive, don't count it out. Check every spot. I found this one in the toilet bowl so they can keep track of how often he takes a dump and what size or consistency it has. At least, I hope that's what they were checking." Both girls got a grossed out look to their faces but an equal determination settled over them as well. No way would this crap continue.
Ino said, "That is beyond gross. I will be telling my dad about this. In fact, I think we should all tell our dad's about this. No one deserves to be under this level of surveillance even if they killed someone. Hell. Even if they were a mass murderer/rapist they don't deserve this bull."
She tore apart Naruto's bed and finally found a device in the headboard. She had been sure there had to be at least one device there. She was about to remake it when Shika stopped her and said, "Check thoroughly. Just cause you found one doesn't mean there aren't others. Who ever is watching him is definitely a pervert of the highest order and that kind of person always uses back-ups." She nodded and began to poke and prod every nook and cranny of the headboard the same way Hinata was checking the mirror frame. Shikamaru began to check the closet. The three worked in silence, growing angrier with each device they found. When they were finally done they had found a total of twenty devices of varying sophistication within the small room. Some were worked into the baseboard and others into the woodwork of the ceiling border. One was in his light fixture and the rest were hidden in the furniture.
A very angry Ino was cursing fluently by the time they began to put the room back together. They found three more on the frame of his bed. One was positioned to monitor his face as he slept and the other two were at what would be waist level. Each was an infrared camera with a small motor to keep a running record of his nighttime activity. If he had a wet dream and jerked himself off in his sleep these devices would catch it and replay it for the voyeurs watching the feed.
"Well, one thing these tell us for sure."
Hinata just got a questioning look while Ino growled out a stunted, "Nani?"
"He's got more than one group of watchers and some of them aren't as rich or influential as others. Some of these are bottom of the barrel that malfunction more often than they work while others are high-end state of the art devices. Some," he said pointing to the infrared, "are new releases that aren't supposed to be readily available and definitely not to anyone outside of the infiltration unit of Anbu."
When they had the bedroom put back together again they went out into the living space to see how the search was going there. Tenten and Lee were searching the kitchen while Shino was helping Kiba search the living space. Chouji was on the balcony. He had found two devices there and was diligently searching the plants while trying not to damage them, knowing how much Naruto cared for his plants. Ino went out to him and, nearly growling her anger and hate for how public Naruto's every movement was, she ordered Chouji to check the railings while she checked the plants. He wondered what had caused her radical change of mind and she explained, "If they think he is going to have an arrangement with Kakashi-Sempai or anyone, they will have more than two devices on this balcony. I may not approve of their choice but if they do choose each other than it's no one's business but their own. Since it is more likely that whoever he chooses to be with will not choose to come openly through his front door, they will expect him to meet his lover here on the balcony. So we need to go over every inch of it and make sure. And, as Shikamaru told Hinata and I, no place is sacred to them. We have found devices that will measure the size of his skin pores and hair follicles for them."
By the time the search came to an end they had found almost one hundred little cameras and recording devices. Shikamaru held out a bag and had everyone put the devices into it. Then the rookies put the apartment back together again and left a note for Naruto telling him what they had done and why. Shika added his own coded message to tell him that Ino would no longer be problem for him and that she had not placed a bet as they thought. He told them it was only her own attraction to Kakashi that had caused her reaction in the first place and that she was extremely ticked off over the level of surveillance they'd found in the apartment. He also told him about finding four devices in the bathroom as well as where each one had been.